Siena Heights raises $19 million for projects

ADRIAN — Siena Heights University topped its fundraising goal to support several campus projects by more than $6 million.

The school raised more than $19 million in gifts and pledges over a three-year period that officially ended on June 30, according to a news release issued Friday.

The On Higher Ground Campaign was the most successful campaign in the institution’s history, according to the news release.

“The campaign response was everything we had hoped for and more,” SHU President Sister Peg Albert said in the release. “We secured the largest individual gifts in the institution’s history, and we now have visible evidence of what this campaign has meant for Siena Heights — especially for our students.”

The On Higher Ground Campaign addressed three primary priorities: new athletic facilities, a new university center and endowment growth.

O’Laughlin Stadium and Dawson Field were completed in fall 2011 and now host athletic events such as football, track and field, soccer, and lacrosse. The baseball field, completed in spring 2012, features an artificial surface infield. In July 2012, the Mary and Sash Spencer Athletic Complex opened adjacent to the stadium and features locker rooms, offices and training facilities.

“Siena now has more options to offer students and, as a result, is growing, reaching higher levels of academic excellence, and has strengthened our community,” campaign chairwoman Stephanie Hickman Boyse said in the news release.

Construction is currently under way on the new McLaughlin University Center, which will include a bookstore, community rooms, recreational space and dining service. The student center will be a gathering space and will benefit all segments of the university community and support more community events. The center is scheduled to be open by the time classes begin in fall 2013.

“None of this would have been possible without the generosity of our donors, some of whom have created a lasting footprint and legacy at Siena Heights,” Albert said. “Our benefactors recognized what great things are happening here at Siena Heights, and now have a chance to create even more opportunities for our students.”